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Release: Australia · Updated: 2026-03-12 · Official documentation · View source

Prepare an improvement

Create CIM phases and tasks to implement an approved improvement. The Improvement Coordinator works with the Improvement Manager to plan implementation and track progress.

Before you begin

  • Improvement Requester created the improvement request.
  • Improvement Manager accepted and assigned the improvement request.
  • Approver group member assessed and approved the improvement.

Role required: sn_cim.improvement_manager, sn_cim.improvement_coordinator

Procedure

  1. Determine phases and tasks needed for the improvement.

    Improvement Manager and Improvement Coordinator meet to determine the tasks required to complete the improvement, and whether multiple phases are required.

  2. Set up CIM phases to track CIM tasks.

    1. Navigate to Continual Improvement > Open and open the improvement in the In Progress state.

    2. In the CIM Phases related list, click New and fill in the description and planned end date.

    3. Right-click the form header and select Save.

    4. In the CIM Tasks related list, click New to create a CIM task.

    5. In the Parent field, select the a CIM Phase record to which you want to associate the CIM task.

    6. Set the CIM task attributes, including assignment, priority, state, planned end date, and short description.

    7. Click Submit.

  3. Create and assign CIM tasks for an improvement.

    1. In the CIM Tasks related list, select New to create a CIM task.

      By default, the CIM task is linked to the CIM initiative. To track the task within a phase, in the Parent field, select the a CIM Phase record to which you want to associate the CIM task.

    2. Set the CIM task attributes, including assignment, priority, state, planned end date, and short description.

      Note:

      • When the planned end date for a CIM task is updated, the planned end date that the CIM initiative that the task is associated with also gets updated. When the state for a CIM task is moved to Work In Progress, the Actual Start Date field is automatically updated with the current date.
      • When the task is assigned, the task assignee receives an email notification.
      • To create a separate application task for an integrated application, select the related link for that application task.
  4. To monitor a KPI with the improvement, add a record to the Impacted KPIs tab.

  5. Meet with CIM task owners to oversee status, monitor work completed, add or update tasks and phases, and track overall progress of the improvement to completion.

    1. Oversee the progress of CIM tasks with task owners on a regular basis until all tasks are presented as complete.

    2. On the Improvement Initiative form, verify that all tasks in the CIM Tasks related list are Closed Complete.

      The improvement coordinator and task assignee receive an email notification when the task is moved to Close Incomplete, Closed Skipped, or Closed Complete state.

    3. On the Improvement Initiative form, verify that all phases in the CIM Phases related list are 100% complete.

  6. Select Review in the header bar to request the improvement be reviewed by the Improvement Manager for closure.

Implement improvement

In the process of reviewing KPI performance in the Performance Analytics application, the incident manager noticed the Average time to resolve an incident KPI scorecard was too high (24 hours).

As part of the implementation process, the Improvement Manager and Improvement Coordinator determined the work required in the next three to six months to complete the improvement, with a target review date 3 months after start.

  • Configured default CIM Phase 1 (added two CIM tasks), and created CIM Phase 2 (added two CIM tasks).
  • Created a Change Management application task record (CHG0030001) associated with CIM Task 2 using the Create Change related link, and set the change record attributes.
  • Added four KPIs to the Impacted KPIs tab to monitor with the improvement.

Improvement Coordinator met with CIM task owners regularly to oversee status and monitor work completed, and set the improvement status to review after all implementation was complete.

FieldValue
NumberCIMT0000116 \(assigned internally\)
ParentCIM0000135
Percent complete0
Planned end date2018-06-19
Actual end date--
Short descriptionResolved incident and reassigned count improvements
CIM Task 1
NumberCIMT0000118 \(assigned internally\)
ParentCIMT0000116
Configuration item--
Active\(Selected\)
Implementing task--
Assigned toBernard Laboy
Improvement registerCIM0000135
Priority4 - Low
StateOpen
Planned end date2018-06-19
Short descriptionImprove % of incidents resolved by first assigned group by using self service and more automation
Work notes--
CIM Task 2
NumberCIMT0000119 \(assigned internally\)
ParentCIMT0000116
Configuration item--
Active\(Selected\)
Implementing TaskCHG0030001
Assigned toChange Manager
Improvement registerCIM0000135
Priority4 - Low
StateOpen
Planned end date2018-06-19
Short descriptionReduce the reassigned count by using ServiceNow Auto Categorization and Auto Assignment models
Work notes--
FieldValue
NumberCIMT0000120
ParentCIM0000135
Percent complete0
Planned end date2018-06-19
Actual end date--
Short descriptionKnowledge improvements and self-service improvements
CIM Task 1
NumberCIMT0000121 (assigned internally)
ParentCIMT0000120
Configuration item--
Active(Selected)
Implementing task--
Assigned toDavid Loo
Improvement registerCIM0000135
Priority4 - Low
StateOpen
Planned end date2018-06-19
Short descriptionAdd new KB articles for common issues
Work notes--
CIM Task 2
NumberCIMT0000123 (assigned internally)
ParentCIMT0000120
Configuration item--
Active(Selected)
Implementing task--
Assigned toAdela Cervantsz
Improvement registerCIM0000135
Priority4 - Low
StateOpen
Planned end date2018-06-19
Short descriptionProvide training and enablement training for new apps
Work notes--
FieldValue
NumberCHG0030001 \(set internally\)
Requested byImprovement Manager
Configuration item--
Planned start date2018-03-18
Planned end date2018-06-19
TypeNormal
StateNew
Priority4 - Low
Impact3 - Low
RiskModerate
Short descriptionReduce the reassigned count by using ServiceNow Auto Categorization and Auto Assignment models.
Description--
FieldValue
Impacted KPI- % of incidents resolved by first assigned group - % of incidents resolved on same day opened - % of incidents resolved without reassignment - Average age open incidents

Parent Topic:Managing improvements

Related topics

Improvement field descriptions

Applications integrated with Continual Improvement Management